Shoplifter fails to turn up for court date

A WARRANT was issued for the arrest of a shop thief who failed to turn up for a court date.

Stephen Scott was due to be sentenced for two counts of theft from a shop at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The offences were carried out in less than two weeks in November last year.

The 46-year-old, of Westoe Road, South Shields, had admitted stealing 12 canisters of Lynx deodorant worth £30 from the Nisa store in Lord Street, South Shields, on November 23 at an earlier hearing at the court.

He also entered a guilty plea to a second theft from the Iceland supermarket, in Chichester Road, South Shields, on November 11, in which he snatched four packets of steak valued at £20, at the hearing.

But magistrates deferred his sentence until yesterday.

However, he didn’t show up for the sentencing hearing and had failed to contact the court to provide a reason.

Laura Johnson, defending, told the court she had ‘no explanation’ for his absence.

John McGlone, prosecuting, asked magistrates to issue a warrant without bail for his arrest.

Margaret Burns, chairwman of the magistrates, agreed to the prosecution request.